Building-block.



1 m. WM

Patented July 4, 1916.

W. C. FERGUSON.

BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1915.

TED STATES BUILDING-BLOCK.

-Specification of Letters Patent.

WILLIAM c. FERGUSON, or CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS,

Patented July 4., 1916.

Application filed March 18, 1915. Serial No. 15,232.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CLARENCE FERGUSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-. siding at Champaign, State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Building-Blocks, of which thefollowing is the specification.

This invention relates to building blocks and particularly refers tothat type of block adapted to be used in the construction of sewers,water conduits and the like, and the objects of the invention aretofacilitate the assembling and particularly the securing of such blocksin position, to lock the adjacent blocks together and in place so thatthe sewer or water conduit will withstand internal pressure togetherwith extreme external weight, and it consists essentially in theimproved construction of the blocks and particularly the locking means,

With these objects in View, the-invention and construction of partshereinafterdescribed and particularly pointed out the claims, it beingunderstood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the detailsofthe construction or arrangement of parts."

The" invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which-Figure 1 shows a cross sectional elevation of a sewer sectionconstructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows the method ofassembling the parts of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a still further modifiedform of locking means. Fig. 6 shows the method of assembling the partsof'Fig. 5.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a hollow outer block used in theconstruction of sewers. 2 indicates lining plates used in conjunctionwith the outer block 1, in the construction of sewers. In thisconstruction the blocks and plates may be given any desired degree ofcurvature but any other construction of these blocks and plates could.

be made without curvature without departing from the spirit of thisinvention. In the block 1 is provided a longitudinal groove 3 havingwalls 4 and a'top 5. The plates- 2 are provided with longitudinal edgeribs 6. The adjacent ribs 6 are adapted to freely enter the groove 3 butin such a manner that a space is left between the walls of the Fig. 2shows the method of assembling the parts of Fig. 1.

groove and the ribs. The ribs may be spaced apart. as in Figs. 3 and 4or they may abut as in Fig. 1.

7 indicates a lateral space extending into the block 1 from the top ofthe groove 3. 8 indicates a similar space but extending oppositely intothe ribs 6.

.9indicates a clip made of metal or any suitable material havingdownwardly and inwardly bent fingers l0 and 'horizontally extendingfingers 11.

. In Fig. 3 the construction is somewhat similar in that the samelateral spaces 7 are provlded in the groove 3 but the spaces 8 aremissing from the ribs on the plates 2. Instead V-shaped recessesorgrooves 13 are provided on the adjacent faces of ribs 12 andthereabove the adjacent faces of these ribs are cut away as at 14. Thelocking member in this instance is different from the clip 9 in Fig. 1in that it is composed of a diamondshap'ed, square or round portion 15adapted to be inserted in the grooves 13 between the ribs 12 and to havea stem or neck portion 16 adapted to extend upwardly past the cutawayfaces 14 of the ribs 12. This neck portion 16 terminates in fingers itexpands or changes its shape'to conform .I l

'11 adapted to enter the spaces 7 when'the The to the grooves 17 and 18as shown in Fig. 5. j 1

- In assembling the parts of Fig. 1 the clip 9 is applied to theadjacent ribs 6 and the fingers 10 are bent slightly downward and thefingers 11 bent slightly upward as shown in Fig. 2. The ribs 6 of theplates 2 arethen pressed upwardly into groove 3; During this operationthe walls 4 of the f until the plates 2 and the block. 1. abut.

groove bend the fingers 10 downward and press their inward projectionsinto grooves 8, and; the fingers -11 striking the top of I the groove 5will bebent toward the horizontal until when theoperation is finishedtheir extremities will project into and'fill the space-7 as shown inFig. 1. When the fingers 10 and 11 of the clip are all in place as shownin Fig. l'it can be seen that the -ribs 6 are securely locked togetherby the fingers 1'0 and they are securely locked into the groove 3 bymeans of the fingers 11. These clips may be placed at intervals alongthe ribs6 or they may be continuous.

\ may be of such a size as to force the groove.

'ribs 12 apart and make them fit tightly in the groove 3. As theadjacent ribs with the member 15 between them, are forced into thegroove 3, the fingers 11 are bent horizontally until when the ribs areseated as in Fig. 3 they extend into the space 7 and the ribs arethereby locked in the groove. The locking members herein described maybe made of metal or any other suitable material and it is entirelywithin the scope ofthis invention to apply them in a molten condition aswell as in the manner that has been set forth.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the locking member isentirely different in shape from the others but it is similar .to themin being deformed into operative position by the insertion of the ribsinto the In assembling these parts the deformable members are placedbetween the ribs and the walls of the groove as shown in Fig. 6. Themembers 19 in this particular case are hollow and present in crosssection anelongated diamond. The particular shape, however, may bevaried as conditions warrant or require. When pres sure is appliedupwardly upon the ribs, they are pressed into the groove and during thisoperation the members 19 are deformed so that they become less elongatedand wider and fit into and fill the space between the channels 17 and 18thereby securely lock ing the ribs into the groove. These meminserted atintervals between the ribs and the blocks.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sewer pipe section comprising an outer block having a longitudinalgroove, lining plates having longitudinal ribs along their edges, theribs of two adjacent plates adapted to freely enter said groove, andpliable means for locking said ribs in said groove applied to saidgroove by said ribs.

2. A method of locking the adjacent ribs of two lining plates into asewer section block having a groove therein consisting in placing apliable medium in the groove and deforming the same by pressure of theribs into the groove until its deformation locks the ribs in the groove.v

3. A sewer section comprising a block having a groove in one of itsfaces, lining plates having longitudinal edge ribs, the adjacent ribs oftwo plates adapted to freely enter said groove, and pliable means forlocking said ribs to each other and into said groove said means beingcarried by said ribs and rendered efiective by the seating of said ribsin said groove. 4:- A sewer section comprising a block having a groovein one of its faces, lining plates having longitudinal edge ribs, theadjacent ribs of two plates adapted to freely enter said groove, andmeans for locking said ribs into said groove comprising finger carryingmetallic members, said fingers adapted to be bent into locking positionby .comprising finger carrying metallic mem bers, certain of saidfingers adapted to be bent over said ribs and certain others to be bentinto locking position by the insertion of the ribs into said groove.

. w. o. FERGUSON.

